


Stay with me

by SophieRomanoff97



Series: Sophie's Endgame fics (AKA lots of fix its) [8]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Boys In Love, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Has Issues, Bucky Barnes Is a Good Bro, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Bucky Barnes Remembers, Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers Feels, Declarations Of Love, Dorks in Love, Established Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers, Falling In Love, Feelings, Feels, First Love, Friendship/Love, Gay, Gay Male Character, Gay Panic, Happy Ending, Idiots, Idiots in Love, Kinda, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Oblivious Steve Rogers, Past Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Post-Endgame, Pre-Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers, Protective Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers Feels, Steve Rogers Is a Good Bro, Stucky Week, True Love, dumb boys, steve is too subtle and bucky is super bad at picking up cues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-09-23 12:10:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20339896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophieRomanoff97/pseuds/SophieRomanoff97
Summary: Post-Endgame. The Steve/Bucky ending we deserved.Includes too subtle Steve, oblivious Bucky who didn't realize they were literally dating, two dumb adorable puppies, and two idiots who are b a d TM at expressing feelings, but they get there in the end.





	Stay with me

**Author's Note:**

> Heyyyyoooo
> 
> This had probably 100% been done but I couldn't help myself, I had to. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Bucky felt the moment his world stopped turning.

He stood with Sam as Steve traveled back to replace the stones.

He had known it in his heart when he heard what the man had planned, that he would likely not have much time left with his best friend, if Steve even came back at all.

His heart clenched as Steve missed the pick up point, closing his eyes.

Steve had made his choice.

Peggy, it was always going to be Peggy.

"What the fuck?" Sam's voice forced Bucky to open his eyes, expecting the absolute worst.

Nothing. Just...nothing.

But then there Steve was, sitting on a bench overlooking the water, his back to them and still Bucky feared the worst.

Ever since he'd heard about the time travel, about Steve seeing Peggy back at the first Shield base, he'd been sure in his heart that if Steve returned, it would be to say goodbye.

He'd figured Steve would live his life out with Peggy and maybe return to say goodbye to his friends.

Trepidation filled him as he stepped towards the bench.

When Bucky reached the man, he found he couldn't take another step. From here, he could pretend it was okay, he could pretend that Steve hadn't left him for another life, he could pretend that this wasn't goodbye.

He stood there, stock still and sick to his stomach until Steve turned around.

Bucky's entire world blew wide open then and there.

The Steve sitting in front of him was no more than a month older than when he'd left.

"Stevie?" Bucky's brows pulled together as he tried to make sense of it all.

Maybe it was his pit stop. Maybe he was saying goodbye now and then moving on to live his life.

Bucky would be nothing but supportive. Steve deserved to be happy, even if that happy was eighty years in the past.

"Hey, Buck." Steve stood, pulling his hands out from his pockets.

Bucky didn't take any steps closer, swallowing a lump the size of America down his throat. He fought to keep his voice even.

"I guess this is it, huh?" He asked nonchalantly, though his teeth gritted.

Steve frowned, looking like a beautiful confused golden retriever. "What's it, Buck?"

"This. This is it. Goodbye or...whatever. Before you go and do what you have to do." Bucky was annoyed at him for making him say it. It wasn't fair of him.

"I...I did do what I had to? The stones are back, history is...saved or whatever. What are you spittin' about, Buck, honestly?"

Now it was Bucky's turn to look like a confused puppy.

"But...Peggy. Your life. You get the chance to go back and start over, Stevie, live out your life with your first love. The..." and man, that fucking hurt to say, "the love of your life."

Steve's face cleared and he moved closer to Bucky until they were face to face. "Buck, c'mon man, what're you taking about first love?"

"Peggy." Bucky got out through gritted teeth. "That's what I'm on about. And honestly, you're kinda pissing me off that you're making me say it."

Steve laughed then and Bucky seriously considered punching him. "And now you're laughin' at me, classy Steve, classy."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I just..." Steve wiped his eyes, all sense of humour gone. "Peggy ain't my first love and she definitely ain't the love of my life."

Oh, maybe Bucky did have it wrong. Sharon then?

"Either way," Bucky grumbled, "You have the chance to do whatever you want."

"I am." Steve said quietly, lifting a hand to Bucky's cheek.

Bucky himself was about sure his heart had stopped then and there, warring emotions and some serious confusion going on in his head.

"But..." Bucky frowned, sure his cheeks were heating up. "Peggy." He finished weakly.

"I loved Peggy. I ain't gonna deny that, man, but you're crazy if you think she's my first love or...destiny or whatever other shit you're thinking." Steve shook his head and his thumb rubbing over Bucky's cheek nearly made his legs weak.

"I know you have at least some of those memories back, Buck." Steve said quietly.

Bucky knew what he meant.

Cold nights in Brooklyn, sloppy kisses under a mountain of blankets, holding hands under the table at dinner, Steve on top of him in the dark, hands moving down his body-

"But..." Bucky stammered, brows furrowed.

"But nothin', Buck. Peggy ain't my first love, idiot, you are."

Bucky was pretty sure Steve short circuited his brain right then, because he could not for the life of him understand words or speak.

Steve sighed softly, dropping the hand from Bucky's cheek.

The man felt disheartened until Steve took his hand instead.

"I didn't go back there for Peggy, Buck." Steve actually looked a little embarrassed. "I went back for my ma's ring."

And oh hell had Bucky got the whole thing very very fucking wrong.

"Uh..." Bucky stammered, rather eloquently.

"For you. I...I brought the ring back for you. I was gonna do it somewhere fancy, somewhere nice, with just us."

"Do...what, exactly?" Bucky breathed.

"Ask you to marry me." Steve shrugged. "I guess I seriously underestimated how subtle I was bein'." He sighed. "Buck, after everything I went through to get you back, after losing you for five years, did you seriously think I was gonna leave you for Peggy?"

"Um...I mean, yeah, kinda." Bucky mumbled.

"Never." Steve replied almost instantly. "Buck, everyone's been telling me for years to move on. But that just wasn't something that was ever gonna be possible. We fought. And you came back, and I am never lettin' you go again."

Bucky swallowed, eyes lifting to meet Steve's. "Yeah, man, you really did fuck up with that subtlety."

Steve barked out a laugh, nodding his head. "Yeah, I'm realising that now. But you weren't exactly forthright there, man."

Bucky rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, you got me there."

"I guess we both kinda fucked up, huh?" Steve grinned, still holding onto his hand. The metal one too, Bucky noted absently.

"Yeah, we really fuckin' did." Bucky hummed. "How 'bout we try that again? You take me dinner and maybe when the end of the night comes, you show me that ring."

"Deal. You're a jerk, you know that right?" Steve laughed softly.

"Yeah, but you're a punk so." Bucky shrugged, the smile dropping of his face. "You're realling stayin', Stevie?"

"I'm staying, Buck. Forever."

**Author's Note:**

> Lemme know if you liked it!


End file.
